Bright and clear, this beer is a fairly deep amber color. It develops very little head, which falls away but leaves a wisp on top of the beer. Very light spotting remains on the walls of the glass in not quite a modicum.Very light and a little grainy, there is a certain warmth to this beer overall. Vanilla is plainly there. It brings to mind a vanilla soda I used to drink once in a while when I would visit Coney Island that I can't quite remember the name of. There's a dusting of a dryer sort of malt laying underneath it.The body is light as well, crisp without getting terribly spritzy and, thus, even having a little smoothness running through it.

Smell - The vanilla smell in this is quite nice in this beer, and with the hop smell slightly at the end.

Taste - The vanilla flavor is also nice, for some reason the taste reminds me of banana bread. There is also a slight hoppy bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel - This is where I wished the beer was better; it would have been perfect if they had made this as a heavier beer (like a porter). It is a bit weak bodied and the carbonation could have been a bit less as well.

Overall - I will applaud Anheuser for the good try on a craft beer, but I would have loved this beer if they had made it something other than a lager. I'm guessing that Anheuser wanted to make all lagers for the project 12 -2, but that kind of kills the beer. Hopeful that they try this again next year, since I enjoy seeing what AB can do.

12 oz twist-off bottle poured into a pilsner glass.5.5% ABV, 13229 on side of label.

A - Crystal clear, this deep golden beer has very little carbonation feeding the poorly retained off-white head. Wispy fingers of lace creep up the glass but the still brew doesn't extend the best invitation.

S - Vanilla extract notes waft from the pale lager as this simple pale-malt-based beer suggests hints of wood but no alcohol.

T - Wood stave-centered, this earthy beer has an unusual, almost plastic-y flavor leading into vanilla and faint alcohol which overtake the simple lager quickly.

M - Looks can be deceiving because this beer has high carbonation and a smooth body that finishes dry and rather clean but lacks any hook.

O - A training wheel "barrel-aged" beer for Budweiser drinkers, perhaps? This beer doesn't quite come together anywhere along the line but save for the weird flavor, it's not terrible. Lacking any sort of hook, the vanilla and wood doesn't quite meld well with the base beer and Bourbon is nowhere in sight.

I tried this beer the day it came out. I would compare it to the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, but has left bourbon flavor. That's a good thing to me since it has a more smooth taste to it. The only bad thing with the package is that you only get three bottles in the twelve pack sampler. I hope that this beer become's it's own beer like the Black Crown did from the first Project 12 edition.

Golden hued with a slight brown coloration. Minimal head after the pour. Great clarity and lively carbonation bubbles. I definitely get vanilla in the aroma and not much else. Flavor is vanilla with a bit of a cream soda. Smooth and creamy. Might be good with ice cream. Good for someone who wants a lighter bodied dessert.